This simple recipe is from Stephanie Alexander’s new app of her wonderful, iconic book Cook’s Companion. It is published here with her permission.

Method

To roast a head of garlic remove any extra layers of papery skin. Slice the top off the entire head to expose the cloves as if you were beheading a boiled egg.

Oil the garlic and put cut-side down into a baking dish with 1 cm water. Bake in a moderate oven at 180℃ for 45 minutes until quite soft when tested with a fine skewer.

The oiled head can also be wrapped and roasted in oiled aluminium foil.